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Rape Charges Are Dismissed In High-Profile International Case.

December 15, 2008, U.S. v. E-3, United States Army, Torii Station, Okinawa, Japan.  Specialist spends an evening out on Gate 2 street located just outside of Kadena AFB on Okinawa, Japan.  Specialist visits bars and drinks alcohol with several Marines.  The group goes to a bar where a number of "bar girls" are present.  These "bar girls" will accept money to sit down with customers, chat, entertain and continue to provide customers with alcohol.  Specialist ends up alone with one of the Filipina bar girls in a hotel right off Gate 2 street.  By the morning, the bar girl claims she is raped and the Army initiates an investigation.  During the investigation, numerous protests are held on island accusing military service members of engaging in criminal acts and how American military personnel should be moved off the island. Mr. Gapasin represents the Specialist and engages in a very diligent, aggressive discovery process in which he interviews numerous witnesses.  A number of international media outlets cover this high-profile case. Protests on Okinawa streets persisted throughout the court-martial especially because the Japanese compared this case to another unrelated case involving a Marine who was tried in the Philippines for rape and found guilty several months earlier. Gapasin requests depositions of key witnesses who live in the Philippines and deposes parents of the accuser as well as a famous Filipina reporter.  The reporter testifies under oath how the accuser's family sought monetary compensation for interviews involving their daughter's accusations.  After Gapasin aggressively cross-examines the alleged Filipina victim at the Article 32 Hearing, and after these depositions are taken in Manila, Philippines, the Government's case loses credibility.  RESULT:  All Rape Charges are DISMISSED. 

Ernesto Gapasin

Attorney

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